Jebel Ali, AE 🇦🇪 Closed Airport
ICAO
AE-0006
IATA
-
Elevation
- ft
Region
AE-DU
Local Time
Loading...
Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 24.988967° N, 55.023796° E
Continent: Asia
Type: Closed Airport
Help fellow travelers by sharing your experience at Jebel Ali Seaplane Base. Tips are reviewed before publishing.
See what travelers are saying about Jebel Ali Seaplane Base from online reviews
AI-generated summary based on publicly available traveler reviews
Researching traveler experiences online...
No community tips yet for Jebel Ali Seaplane Base.
Be the first to share a helpful tip for fellow travelers!
Loading weather data...
| Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
|---|
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|
Approximately 2019-2020. While an exact official closure date is not publicly available, flight tracking and tour operator schedules indicate that regular operations ceased around this period. The global downturn in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 was likely a final contributing factor.
The closure was for commercial and strategic reasons. The base was not a standalone airport but a water landing zone and dock operated by the private tour company Seawings, primarily serving guests of the JA The Resort. The decision to close was likely driven by a business strategy to consolidate operations into more central, high-traffic tourist hubs like Dubai Creek and Dubai Marina. These locations are more accessible to a wider range of tourists from various hotels, making them more economically viable than a base tied to a single, geographically distant resort.
The site of the former seaplane base is now fully integrated into the JA The Resort's recreational waterfront. The specific coordinates point to the water area and marina adjacent to the resort. The docks and jetties previously used for seaplane passenger boarding are now utilized for other marine activities, including private boat mooring and water sports available to hotel guests. The water landing area is simply open sea within the Arabian Gulf.
The Jebel Ali Seaplane Base was a key operational site for Dubai's luxury tourism sector throughout the 2000s and 2010s. It was exclusively used by Seawings Dubai, which operates a fleet of amphibious Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft. Its primary function was to provide scenic air tours of Dubai's iconic landmarks. Guests at the JA The Resort could board a seaplane directly from the hotel's marina for a tour that typically included aerial views of the Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, The World Islands, and the Burj Khalifa, before landing back on the water at the resort. It represented a peak of convenience and luxury in Dubai's tourism offerings for that specific location.
There are no known public plans or prospects for reopening the Jebel Ali Seaplane Base. The operator, Seawings, has successfully established its primary Dubai operations at Dubai Creek, which offers a unique heritage experience, and also utilizes other locations like Dubai Marina. Given the logistical efficiency and market reach of these central hubs, a return to the more isolated Jebel Ali location is considered highly unlikely.